Sharing...

One of my favorite things is when people email me and share what they've created using a kit. Jewel sent these two photos, showcasing what she did with the tag kit from last month, and I LOVE what she's done with it!! Thanks for sharing, Jewel!!

I wanted to share the answers to a few questions, too. I was asked about making gingerbread houses out of graham crackers, so here goes...

Start off with a lot of graham crackers (they break easily and many are broken before you get them out of the bag.) Use a towel as your "cushion" and slowly apply pressure with a sharp knife and create two like sides...

I could do these in my sleep. I made 25 this year for our annual Mother/Daughter Gingerbread Decorating Party...our 7th annual this year!!

Using royal icing (I buy the mix at a cake store and add water), use the two cut sides and 4 additional flat crackers to achieve this:

If you're going to do a lot, prep the houses the night before. Small children really don't want to construct as much as create. In the earlier years, too many kids left with broken heaps in tears...so it is easier to just let them start from here and create.

In addition to making those, I made 16 dozen of these for Debbie's 10th Annual Girlfriends Cookie Exchange. This was my contribution...Andes Mint Cookies.

You can find the recipe here. They're always a hit, and I don't care too much for mint!

Debbie has a beautiful home, and hosted a lovely luncheon...

And the next day was at my house for the gingerbread houses...

I served these peppermint bites and they went fast! I simply took melted white chocolate and added crushed peppermint bits into the mix, and spooned small heaps onto a waxed paper lined cookie sheet, and let them harden in the frig. Too easy!!

Tina and Amy wanted to know about this one...Oreo bark. I saw it somewhere online and had to try it out. Start with a waxed paper lined cookie sheet (with sides so the chocolate doesn't spill out.) First, melt dark chocolate wafers in the microwave and spread the mix onto the waxed paper. Chill in the frig until it hardens. Next, do the same with milk chocolate, and pour it directly onto the hardened dark chocolate, making it layered. Chill again. Add a third layer of white chocolate, and before that hardens, sprinkle broken bits of Oreo all over the top and push into the chocolate so it hardens...

Break into pieces once it is all hard, and this is how it looks. Divine...

And last but not least, I had someone ask about the pretzel bits. Simply melt a Hershey's Hug onto a pretzel in the oven (250 degrees for only 3 minutes--do NOT over bake!). Remove from the oven and immediately add m&m's on top to decorate. Let them chill and harden in the frig, and you're good to go!!

I hope you are able to give one of these a try this season!! Enjoy!!